ADIVA’S DREAM REALISED
12-year-old makes debut in ‘The Nutcracker’ in London’s West End
What is Christmas without The Nutcracker? Indeed, The Nutcracker, the fairytale ballet set to music by Tchaikovsky, is as essential to Christmas as Father Christmas himself.
And, that was what took me to the London Coliseum last Thursday, to not only get into the spirit of Christmas but also to watch 12-year-old Adiva Affendie make her debut on the famous stage of one of London’s largest and most luxurious family-variety theatres.
Adiva, one of the cast of the Chelsea Ballet Schools, was performing with the English National Ballet in the Nutcracker Christmas Gala, as a Snowflake and a Debutante.
She may not be one of the lead roles, such as Clara who fell asleep with the Nutcracker in her arms, which later turned into a charming prince, but Adiva had her dream of dancing in one of the most popular ballets realised that day in London’s West End theatre.
I met Adiva and her mother, Nora S.M. Amin, during one of her less busy days, when she could escape from the hectic and punishing schedules of rehearsals.
Tall with a long neck and trim shoulders, with body poised on long legs, Adiva had a ready, albeit shy smile, but spoke with confidence and passion about her love for dancing.
After her birth in Malaysia, Adiva moved to England when she was 2 and practically grew up with pointe shoes on her feet and wearing the tutu.
“I love expressing my feelings and emotions through dance,” said Adiva, who hopes to have her own dance company one day and dance professionally.
Adiva, a student of the prestigious More House School in Knightsbridge, is very passionate about fitness and dancing. She does horse riding and loves history. The budding ballerina has been a top student of the English National Ballet School (an elite specialist training centre for aspiring and highly talented ballet dancers) and Chelsea Ballet School since she was 4 years old.
This second and youngest child, who has the wholehearted support of her banker mother, had to audition twice to get into the cast of The Nutcracker.
“There were about 200 pupils and they sent me an email to tell what part I got. I got to be one of the Snowflakes and one of the Debutantes,” she said, gushing with excitement.
I got to see Adiva, first as a Debutante, in a long flowy dress with long gloves.
“She’s the one with the blue ribbon around her waist,” whispered the nervous but excited mother sitting next to me in the Dress Circle.
All the long hours of rehearsals and practice had left Adiva a little tired, but once backstage with all the other budding ballerinas she had been practising with for the past three months, she had her boost of adrenaline.
“It was an honour to perform at the London Coliseum. Before the performance, I was anxious. After the countless hours of practice, within an hour, it was done.
“As soon as I stepped onto stage, everything went into slow motion as the adrenaline was pumping through my body. We couldn’t see anything because of the lights, so it made things a lot easier.
“But, as soon as the curtains fell, it felt like it was over too soon. I would really like to perform worldwide and dance on the biggest stages in Paris, New York, and London,” said Adiva after her performance.
It isn’t just ballet that she does. Adiva is also into street dancing, which she performed for a competition at The Cadogan Hall and at Her Majesty’s Theatre for a West End Summer School show. The musically-inclined Adiva, who plays the piano and other instruments, has had to wisely divide her time between her passion and her studies. Her doting mother is always around to ensure that she excels in both.